Condensation trap for steam irons



Jan. 24, 1950 A. ,1. WEBER 2,495,397

CONDENSATION TRAP FOR STEAM RUNS Filed Sept. 24, 1946 INVENTOR ALBERT- J. WEBER ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 24, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Albert J. Weber, Los Angeles, Calif. Application September 24, 1946, Serial No. 698,897

2 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in a fiat-iron of the. type in which live steam is supplied through the face of the iron to the fabric being operated upon, and is more particularly concerned with novel means for preventing the passageof any condensation of th steam through the iron onto the fabric.

It isa primary object of the herein described invention to provide in a steam iron improved means for eliminatingsteam condensation therein,. whereby there will be no passage of cond'ensate through the iron and consequent spotting of fabrics being worked upon.

It is a further object of the invention to provide novel means which will operate to entrap any condensation of the steam entering the iron and convert it into steam before permitting passage through the iron.

Another object is to provide simple, efficient and inexpensive means for eliminating any steam condensate that may be present in. a steam iron and which will in no way retard or restrict the passage of steam therethrough.

Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing preferred embodiments of the invention without placing limitations on the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only;

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an iron emb'odying the features of the herein described invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the base member of the iron, taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the base member of the iron, certain portions being cut away to disclose interior details.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 an iron embodying the features of the present invention. More specifically, the iron disclosed is a combination electric and steam iron in which the heating is in general accomplished electrically and which is further arranged to be supplied with live steam which may be ejected through the iron at its operative face onto the fabric which is being operated upon.

In general, the flat-iron comprises a base member H! which is surmounted by a metal cover I I which houses the usual electrical heating unit (not shown). Operatively associated with the base member and metal cover is the handle [2 2 supported at its rear end and associated with a socket or receptacle l3 for receiving an electric plug supply connector [4. there is supported on the upper surface of the metal cover an adjustable handle l5 of the usual switch or temperature regulating mechanism.

The base member ID is connected with a. steam connection pipe [6 by means of a suitable con pling I1, which supplies live steam to the interior of the base member and conducts it to the work-- ing' face of the base member where it isejected onto the fabric being operated upon.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the.

interior of the base member is provided with. a plurality of interconnected tubular passages l8, I9, 20 and 2| whichare angularly disposed so as to traverse the entire area of the base member.

The passage 2| connects with a passage 22 which in turn has a connection with a passage. 23. The

passages 22 and 23 are arranged in crossed rela.- tion. in the point of the base member and are respectively provided with a series of. outlet open ings 24 communicating, with the Working surface:

of the iron.

The aforementioned passages provide a steam flow path from the inlet connection to the outlet openings 24 and are provided with closure plugs 25 which may be removed to gain access to the respective passages through the sides of the base member when such access becomes necessary.

In utilizing irons of the herein described type, it is necessary to provide means to prevent the passage of any condensation of the steam which may take place through the iron so as to be ejected through the openings 24 onto the fabric being worked upon, as such condensation would spot or might otherwise damage the material.

For the elimination of any condensation of steam which may be carried through the steam inlet, I provide a very simple and efiicient means which is devoid of absorbing materials, gauze or other means which might act to materially retard the flow of steam through the base member. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, it will be noted that the passage I8 is composed of a section [8a lying on one side of passage is and communicating therewith, and a section l8b lies on the opposite side of the passage l9 and is in axial alignment with the portion or section [8a.

For introducing the steam, I have provided a tubular nozzle 26 having one end supported in the connection I! and its outlet end formed into a beveled tip portion 21.

The inner end of the section I8?) is closed as indicated at 28 and the nozzle 26 is disposed Below the handle with its tip portion 21 spaced from the bottom 28 and projecting into the open end portion of the section l8b so as to cooperate therewith to form an annular restricted outlet 29 from the interior of the section [8b. This outlet is in concentric relation and surrounds the tip portion 21 of the nozzle 26.

The operation of the mechanism described above will now be described. Any water of condensation which may enter through the steam connection IE will pass through the nozzle 26 and be ejected into the interior of the section l8b. This water will be retained against passage through the outlet 29 by virtue of the steam pressure at the tip portion 27 of the nozzle. However, steam will readily pass through the annular outlet and thence through the balance of the flow path until it issues through the openings 24 in the working surface of the iron.

Over an extended period of time, the water of condensation which may be accumulated in the section I 8b will become vaporized and formed intosteam which will b carried along with the other steam through the annular outlet opening 29... Thus, any condensate in the passage I8 will gradually be eliminated.

If, for any reason, a slight amount of water of condensation should pass through the annular restricted outlet, it would have to travel over the devious fiow path formed by passages I9, 20, 2|, 22 and 23, and in so doing, would be subjected to the heated surrounding medium of the base member and be vaporized into steam before reaching the openings 24.

I claim as my invention:

. 1. A fiat-iron construction comprising a base having an operating face, means defining a tubular zig-zag steam flow path in said base for conducting steam therethrough from an inlet connection to discharge openings in said operating face, a tubular chamber adjacent said inlet connection forming a part of said iiow path and extending laterally from said means, said chamber having at one end a communication opening connection with the flow path and being closed at its other end, and a steam inlet nozzle having a discharge end projecting through the communication opening and forming with the Wall of said chamber an annular outward flow steam passage from said chamber to subject entrapped condensation in the chamber to a pressure opposing its passage through the annular passage.

2. A fiat-iron construction comprising a base having an operating face, means definin a tubular zig-zag steam flow path in said base for conducting steam therethrough from an inlet connection to discharge openings in said operating face, a tubular chamber adjacent said inlet connection forming a part of said flow path and extending laterally from said means, said chamber having at one end a communication opening connection with the flow path and being closed at its other end, and a steam inlet nozzle having a beveled discharge end projecting through the communication opening to form with the wall of said chamber a tapered annular outward flow steam passage from th chamber and subject entrapped condensation in the chamber to a pressure opposing its passage through the annular passage.

- ALBERT J. WEBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,593,896 Brewer July 27, 1926 1,374,832 Tavender Aug. .30, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 184,856 Switzerland June 30, 1936 454,903 Germany Jan. 19, 1928 

